Has SC ever had a $1 billion winner? The biggest lottery wins in SC

, The Greenville News1 day ago

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Has SC ever had a $1 billion winner? The biggest lottery wins in SC

The current Powerball jackpot has reached an estimated $820 million, ranking it among the largest in the game’s history.
South Carolina’s biggest lottery win was a $1.537 billion Mega Millions jackpot claimed by an anonymous woman in 2018.
Lottery winners in South Carolina have the option to remain anonymous, a choice several large jackpot winners have made.

This story has been updated with new information.

The most recent Powerball jackpot has soared to an estimated $875 million, marking it as one of the top jackpots in the history of the game. But for South Carolinians dreaming of a big win, the odds of winning big might not be in their favor.

South Carolina has had several big lottery wins over the years, but it’s not one of the luckiest places in the United States, according to Jackpot.com. But South Carolina is home to one $1 billion ticket winner, along with plenty of other winners.

The ongoing Powerball drawing has produced several winners, with the most recent South Carolina wins coming from the Dec. 1 drawing: a ticket at Red Rocket Fireworks in Fort Mill won $150,000, and another ticket won $50,000 at the Main Street Express LLC in Conway.

Here’s a look at some of the biggest Powerball and Mega Millions prizes ever won in South Carolina, and when the next big Powerball drawing happens.

What was the top Powerball, Mega Millions jackpot win in South Carolina?

The biggest winning ticket in the Palmetto State actually came from the Upstate.

In October 2018, the $1.537 billion Mega Millions jackpot winner was an anonymous South Carolina woman who bought a ticket while visiting Greenville County. She opted for a one-time lump-sum payment of $877,784,124, according to South Carolina Lottery officials.

It was the largest win ever in South Carolina and the last time South Carolina had a jackpot win.

Biggest lottery winners in South Carolina

In South Carolina, lottery winners can remain anonymous. So, while names of winners aren’t always available, we do know where and when some of the biggest wins have happened.

Here’s a look at some other big jackpots won in the state and where they were won.

Hot dog buns vs. lottery tickets: 2013 Powerball win, Columbia

The previous record holder before the 2018 Mega Millions win was a man who bought a $400 million Powerball ticket in the Columbia area in 2013, who never wanted to be identified.

According to reports from Greenville News, on the day of the Powerball drawing, the man had stopped for gas at a Murphy Express in Lexington when his wife called and told him to pick up hot dog buns, officials said. He didn’t find any buns, but he did leave with $20 in Powerball tickets.

Pastor steps forward with big Powerball win

Rev. Solomon Jackson Jr. didn’t hide behind anonymity to claim his $260 million Powerball prize in 2009.

Jackson bought the ticket at the Murphy USA gas station on Garners Ferry Road in Columbia.

He grew up in Columbia and retired from the state Department of Revenue. Jackson reportedly gave some of his earnings to educational causes, including $500,000 to buy two 56-seat luxury coach buses for Benedict College, according to previous reporting.

What was the first lottery jackpot won in South Carolina?

A couple from Charlotte, North Carolina, were actually the first South Carolina jackpot winners.

Anthony and Monica Wilson were identified as the winners of an $88 million jackpot in 2003. A store near Fort Mill sold the state’s first-ever winning Powerball ticket from the Red Rocket on U.S. 21 near Fort Mill.

Has any state not had a Powerball jackpot winner?

Several actually.

Lottery players in Maine, Mississippi, North Dakota, and Wyoming have all been unlucky when it comes to picking the jackpot-winning ticket. Since these states have participated in the Powerball lottery, these states have not sold a jackpot-winning Powerball ticket.

When is the next Powerball drawing?

The next Powerball drawing is on Monday, Dec. 8, at approximately 10:59 p.m. ET/9:59 p.m. CT. Powerball has three drawings each week on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.

How to play Powerball

Strategies for playing the Powerball lottery game

Some suggestions for having the most luck with the popular lottery game.

Want to play Powerball but not quite sure how it works? Here are some things to know.

To play Powerball, you first select five white ball numbers. These five numbers will be between one and 69. Then, pick one “Powerball” or red ball number. This number will be between one and 26.
For an extra dollar, you may choose to “power play,” which multiplies all non-grand prize winnings by a factor of 2, 3, 4, 5, or 10.
If you match at least one number in the Powerball drawing, you win a prize.